The U.S. Forest Service has rejected Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s appeal of a decision in November that blocked a long-planned expansion at the resort.

Deputy Regional Forester Jim Peña affirmed the decision by Gunnison National Forest supervisor Charlie Richmond, who last fall decided the resort’s proposed expansion onto neighboring Snodgrass Mountain was not in the public interest and should not proceed into deeper environmental review.

Mueller spent four years and $2 million working with Richmond to sculpt the Snodgrass proposal in a “pre-application” process before the project entered into formal review under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.

He said Richmond indicated the proposal had met pre-application concerns, and he thought the project was set to move ahead.

While acknowledging that the appeal illustrates “conflicting evidence on the suitability of the proposal,” Peña said Forest Service policy does not establish a level of evidence that requires agency officers to automatically accept a proposal. It was Richmond’s call to make, Peña said.

Mueller said he is appealing Peña’s decision to Forest Service chief Tom Tidwell. If Tidwell affirms Peña’s call, Mueller said, he will push the decision into federal court.

Jason Blevins covers tourism, mountain business, skiing and outdoor adventure sports for both the business and sports sections at The Denver Post, which he joined in 1997. He skis, pedals, paddles and occasionally boogies in the hills and is just as inspired by the lively entrepreneurial spirit that permeates Colorado's high country communities as he is by the views.

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